A couple of dozen hostages from the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, are still believed to be alive in Gaza. Netanyahu's current coalition government is dependent on support from parties on the far right, parties that oppose any agreement with Hamas.
Gantz, leader of the centrist Blue and White alliance, is now proposing a new temporary coalition to bypass the far right and quickly reach an agreement on the hostages.
I am here for the hostages, who have no voice. I am here for the soldiers who appeal, and whom no one in the government listens to, said Gantz during a televised press conference.
Gantz is also appealing to opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman, who previously dismissed the idea of sitting in a Netanyahu-led government, to accept his invitation.
The current government coalition risks collapsing after the summer break since it lost support from two ultra-orthodox parties during the summer - and thus its majority in the Knesset. The background is a disagreement on whether ultra-orthodox men should do military service at the same level as other Israeli Jews.
Benny Gantz was previously part of Netanyahu's government and war cabinet, but jumped off in June 2024 due to what he described as the lack of a post-war plan.
